Cardiac Arrest

UT
Southwestern’s expert cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons work to save
the lives of people who experience cardiac arrest. We also excel at identifying
and treating cardiac arrest’s underlying causes in those who survive this
life-threatening heart emergency.

Expert Care for a Life-Threatening Emergency

Cardiac
arrest is the sudden loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. It
is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.

Cardiac
arrest – also called sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) – is caused by an interruption
of the electrical signals that control the heart’s ability to pump blood. When
the heart stops, the lack of blood flow can cause sudden cardiac death (SCD) or
brain damage within four to six minutes.

Although
cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack – in which blood flow to part of the
heart is blocked – a heart attack can sometimes lead to cardiac arrest.

UT
Southwestern’s skilled heart doctors use a variety of advanced tools and
techniques to save the lives of people who experience cardiac arrest and make
it to the hospital – and to diagnose and treat the underlying causes in people
who survive.

UT
Southwestern is also home to a dedicated Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Cardiac rehabilitation is a
critical component of recovery and can prevent future heart disease.

Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest often occurs without warning, causing people to suddenly:

Support Services

UT
Southwestern’s cardiac
rehabilitation specialists will
create a customized plan that makes nutrition, exercise, and nicotine cessation
programs an integral part of a patient’s daily routine after cardiac arrest.

Clinical
Trials

As one of the nation’s top academic medical centers, UT Southwestern offers a
number of clinical trials aimed at improving the outcomes of patients with
cardiovascular disease.

Clinical
trials often give patients access to leading-edge treatments that are not yet
widely available. Eligible patients who choose to participate in one of UT
Southwestern’s clinical trials might receive treatments years before they are
available to the public.